We are back with our weekly roundup of tech news. The Jio GigaFiber launch[1] at the Reliance Industries AGM[2] was the biggest event of the week, which also saw some smartphone launches and price cuts. The Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) service that was under testing for the last couple of years is now launching in 1,100 cities, under the name Jio GigaFiber. The service claims to deliver speeds up to 1Gbps, but there are no details about pricing yet. Jio GigaFiber registrations for the service will begin on August 15 from Jio.com and MyJio; the rollout in localities will be based on interest received from registrations.
As part of the Jio GigaFiber project, the company will also provide a GigaTV set-top box and a microphone-enabled TV remote that can take voice commands. The operator says GigaFiber-powered TVs will also be able to make calls to other TVs, phones and tablets powered by the service.
Also serving the network will be the Jio Smart Home Accessories Suite[3], which will include an audio dongle, video dongle, smart speaker, Wi-Fi extender, smart plug, outdoor security camera, and a TV camera, among others. These are designed to let users control and monitor their homes remotely using their smartphones. The company says its technicians will be able to set up the smart home system within an hour.
Airtel[4] was quick to respond to the Jio GigaFiber announcement as it started removing the FUP limits[5] on plans in Hyderabad. While whittling down the number of broadband plans from five to four, the operator has also removed the old data caps on the same. This means users will be able to surf the Web without the standard...